Being from the region of Halton, there are many places you can enjoy away from the city, without being outside of the GTA. There are many beautiful spots to visit within the region of Halton, whether you go downtown to see the historic buildings and trendy shops, or simply take a scenic route through the Niagara escarpment. For me, my absolute favourite place to visit within the entire region of Halton would be the gorgeous trails of Rattlesnake Point located in Milton, Ontario.

Having grown up in the region of Halton my entire life, I’ve been treated to some beautiful spots, far enough from the city, but not too remote. Rattlesnake point is an Ontario provincial park, part of the Niagara escarpment, and stretches for about one hundred square kilometers. Whether you enjoy camping or hiking for the day, its the perfect spot for getting out of the city and seeing the true beauty of Halton region. Rattlesnake point is wonderful place for those who are up for adventure. Its’ become a notorious spot for avid rock climbers who span the cliffs hundreds of feet high. You also are given the chance to catch a glimpse of turkey vultures that soar close to the cliffs, as well as various wildlife.

From the time I was a young child, my parents would take me to Rattlesnake point, whether to go on hikes (which can last up to 5 hours) or simply to relax and set up a bbq lunch, its always been my go to spot close to home, a place I can go to relax, use as an exercise challenge or simply to ease my mind and relax. The views are absolutely breathtaking and offer a view overlooking most of the region. They offer trails from beginner level to more advanced adventurers (this is my choice) and there are even trail markers that lead you to trails that extend further to other provincial parks. If you ever get the chance to camp at Rattlesnake Point you’re in for a treat. The view of the constellations are incredible, something you wouldn’t see in the city, sitting beside a bonfire, relaxing under the stars surrounded by nature.

I often challenge myself hiking the trails with friends, or I simply go to relax and practice yoga in the park. It’s a place I would go no matter how stressed I was or if I needed to get away, its close enough to home and is the perfect place for families. I’ve always had a strong connection with nature, being an avid outdoors girl and nature lover, which is why I feel so blessed to live in the region of Halton. There are several incredible lookout points at Rattlesnake Point, many of which offer views of ancient cedar trees, most being around a thousand years old as well as fossils buried within the cliffs dating back hundreds of millions of years. Walking the trails will also lead you to Crawford lake, which has a recreated Iroquois indigenous village, which I have visited many times and has educated me on Canada’s indigenous people living within Halton region around 400-500 years ago.

If you’re up for a challenge and adventure, along with beautiful views and tranquility, then I highly recommend you travel over to Rattlesnake point. You wont be disappointed!

Arriving on July 16th for Miss World Canada, I had no idea what to expect. Having no previous knowledge or experience being in any type of pageant, which of course can be daunting. We were then asked to head to the ballroom for our official sponsor launch party. We were then greeted by Michelle and various representatives of the select sponsors who discussed the importance of sponsors and the responsibilities of a titleholder in terms of promoting products and social media.

After arriving to our dinner party we were greeted by many sponsors and desks full of amazing goodies. It felt so welcoming and generous to have all of these people taking the time and effort to provide us with the hospitality and necessities a new girl like me needed. During the sponsor party we were educated on the importance of sponsorship and learning about how to promote properly. Everyone was so kind and generous as we ventured around. I had an amazing time going around to the various setups and learning of the different products and I must say I was greatly impressed.

The first business I was introduced to was our official shoe sponsor Nine West. All of the shoes were stacked together and of course I had to take a peek. The shoes are so elegant and compliment everything we get to wear for our competition.

Skechers- As an avid fitness lover, I definitely had to take a break from the heels and try on some skechers running shoes and let me tell you they were extremely comfortable. It felt as though I was walking on clouds, just what I needed after a long night in stilettos, I didn’t want to take the skechers off! The even let me use them with the hula hoops.

Isabella hoops entertainment- Whilst in the skechers, enjoying the cushioning under my feet, I proceeded over to the glowing hoops. The girl was very friendly and patient, as I am not the best hula hooper. The glowing factor turned the night up an extra level; I had a blast, even if I stumbled a bit. I would definitely recommend this for any type of party or event.

Street Chic- After enjoying my moment with the hula hoops I proceeded across the room to street chic and got to meet the owner, Lily Laio. Lily was so sweet and generous, she went to the trouble of creating customized tank tops for us to wear, I even got to have a picture with her. The shirts are adorable and even have the saying “I like it when you smile, I love it when I’m the reason” which is the perfect saying for any Miss World Canada delegate. She was so kind and the shirts are so comfortable to wear.

Archer Dental- I definitely need to give a huge thank you to Archer Dental, who provided us with brand new toothbrushes and toothpaste. It definitely came in handy for the week. Their set up was on the same table as Street Chic and there were tons of these cute small bags all neatly packaged just for us. I found it very thoughtful and sweet, especially since I needed more toothpaste for the week.

The Kraco- The next set up I encountered was the most amazing display of sweets and treats. There were candies, chocolates and handmade lipbalm products. I was like being in a candy store and I absolutely loved that their products are made with 100% natural ingredients. I also loved that they were very adamant on respecting the environment, using only natural biodegradable products.

Warsh Cloth-Let me tell you, this product is honestly the best makeup remover product Ive ever used. Maxine Warsh was there to answer all my questions and provided me with advice on caring for my skin and how to take care of it in the future. The cloth itself is so gentle on the skin but is very effective in removing the stubborn competition makeup. Being someone with combination skin, it saves me a lot of time and effort.

Snappy towels- The next set up I went over to was a beach themed set up covered in beach balls and towels. We all got to keep our own beach ball and try out the towels, which by the way were very comfortable. There was even a competition to see who could blow up a beach ball the fastest and the winner got a free towel.

Raven social media photobooth- This had to be one of my favourite moments of the night, I got to try out the photobooth, which was set up like instagram boomerang. It was so much fun, and I even got to post it on my own instagram. Everyone was having an awesome time, taking videos posing in their crowns and miss Canada world memorabilia. I couldn’t take just one, I hope the next event I take part in, includes this business.

Hastagio- One of the moments of the night I thought was interesting was when we got to display our photos with the hashtag #missworldcanada. As soon as we did our photos were displayed on the screen, allowing us to capture the night and offer a snapshot into our amazing night.

Helene Clarkson- Helen Clarkson spoke to us about the importance of sponsorship, participating in a live blog challenge and also had her own set up with her urban style clothing line. All of her clothing was very versatile and great for wearing either casual or dressed up. We got to try on the various clothing and even took part in a blogging challenge.

First off I want to apologise for my delay in writing my blog entry, so thank you for the patience and I just want to express how ecstatic I am to be here and share my experience with you all!

Hello everyone this is Sarah here! I’m so grateful and blessed to be meeting you all and representing my hometown of Oakville, as well as the entire region of Halton! I simply cannot put into words my excitement for this opportunity to compete at the Miss Canada World competition in July.

I’ll start from the beginning of how it all began…on June 30, 1993….Hehe just kidding.. Back in January I happened across an advertisement for the Miss Canada World Ontario competition that took place at the end of the month. Having absolutely no previous experience I gave it a few thoughts before applying. Not thinking I would actually be chosen I decided to apply for self motivation. To my delight I got a response back for an interview with Michelle! Feeling very nervous and excited I jumped to the opportunity…..unfortunately my camera didn’t work…luckily she could hear my voice, but I thought I had blown it….the next day I received the message that I had been selected to compete at provincials….my heart leapt!!

So you all probably want to know what drove me to enter such a huge competition with no experience..Well, for many years I battled with severe anxiety, depression, bullying and body image issues, including eating disorders. After spending many years overcoming these issues, and living with mental illness it drove me to motivate myself by doing something I never thought I could ever do. I also have known many people living with mental illness as well as friends of mine who have passed away from it. I always told myself that once I had built up enough strength I would do whatever I could to reach out and help those living with mental illness. By bringing awareness and sharing my own experiences I want to help others by showing them how much one can achieve, despite living with mental illness. This competition isn’t just something I’m doing for myself but I’m also doing it for everyone who lives with this on a daily basis, as well as those we’ve lost. Therefore my mandate for the competition is to spread awareness and end the taboo of mental illness across Canada. Regardless of how well I do at the competition, I want to do anything I can to help and will continue to do so after the competition.

A little bit about me… (Don’t worry I`ll keep it short hehe) I have been an artist my entire life and have always adored drawing and painting (especially animals). It`s a lifelong passion I`ve maintained which led me to my career in the film industry, building and painting sets as a scenic artist. I even take part in the construction side… (Which many people find hard to believe :P) I`ve always loved it and hopefully plan to develop this into storyboard production in film. (I’ve always been a doodler, so it`s perfect!! ) I graduated from Sheridan College with honours in the Fundamentals of Fitness leadership program in 2016, furthering my passion of physical health and nutrition. I also have been a lover of sports and outdoor activities, having been a figure skater from the age of 3 (the closest thing to competition I’ve done so far). As well as horseback riding, dancing and many outdoor adventure challenges, I’m just your average down to earth Canadian girl!

One of my many drawings! 🙂

My love of the Canadian outdoors…whether summer or winter!

One of my many days on set as a stand by painter.

figure skating!

The day of my competition, I can’t express how nervous I was!! My heart was jumping out of my chest! I was surrounded by all of these amazing, talented girls and then there was just me… I had an amazing time, despite the nerves and my anxiety I made it through the 2 days, making some awesome friends, having a ball, doing the dance routines and learning all these amazing new skills. When I was finally on stage in front of everyone, I felt the most incredible rush while thinking “What did I get myself into???” and “I can’t believe I did this!!!” After going through my various outfits and feeling so excited on stage in my final gown I felt so relieved and proud that I actually pushed myself to do this. The moment I was crowned I didn’t even realise my name was called (yes, l was a bit mind boggled..) Immediately I was in shock! I never thought I would ever be chosen to move on to nationals and felt so blessed and emotional that I had come this far!! Now that I am representing Halton at nationals I feel so proud and blessed, knowing that I can hopefully make a difference in others lives that have experienced what I have over the years. I’m beyond elated to meet you all this July and I can’t wait to walk the stage at the Miss Canada World Competition!! It’s a moment that has changed me drastically and improved my confidence in ways I’ve never felt before. I hope I can make you all proud and thank you soooo much for taking your time to read my blog. See you in July!!!! <3

Hi I'm Sarah, Miss Halton World 2017!

Name: Sarah Locke
Age: will be age 24 at the time of the pageant
Height: 5’3
Province: Ontario
City: Oakville
Beauty With a Purpose: My beauty with a purpose is to bring awareness of mental illness by educating and helping those living with these issues.
Biography:
Sarah was born on June 30 1993 and grew up in Oakville Ontario. She developed an artistic background from an early age and started figure skating from the age of 3, going on to compete at the provincial and national level for synchronized skating. After years of bullying, mental illness and abuse, she chose to dedicate her life helping others. Sarah went on to graduate college with honours, start a career in film, volunteer with abused youth and became an entrepreneur. Regardless if she wins or not, she will use the responsibility given to help spread awareness throughout the country.